Automatic electric brake set



May 26, 1925. 1,539,500

P. w. MOSHER AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC BRAKESET Filed Oct. 17, 1924 J INVENTOR Peter W-Mosher mi? Mm ATTORNEY Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oF-mca:

PETER w. MQSHER, or srocxm'on, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC BRAKE SET.

Application filed October 17, 1924. Serial No. 744,175.

following to be a full, clear, and exact de-.

scription of same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this, application.

This invention relates to improvements in railway equipment, and especially to automatic brake setting systems, installed on the I locomotives or other power vehicles on ra1l-.

ways to warn the respective engineers of twosuch vehicles when they are in the same block, and to automatically cause a brake application to he made on the vehicles.

The present invention particularly represents an improved structure over my Patent No. 1,119,306, granted to me December. 1st, 1914, and also over my pending application for patent, Serial-No. 730,901, filed August 8th, 1924.

In the previous devices it the main brake applying circuit on one engine was out of order, not only would the brakes on that engine not he set but they would not be set on another engine in the same block either.

My main object now is to provide an auxiliary brake setting circuit means which will automatically function whenever the main circuit is out of order, to not only immediately and in all cases apply the brakes on the engine on which the auxiliary circuit is mounted, but it will also cause the brakes to be applied on another engine if .the latter is said engine has either the auxiliary or the latest type of main circuit system or not.

Another object is to arrange the auxiliary circuit in such a manner that the circuit therethrough will be closed it the main circuit is out of order, regardless of whether the engine is in the shops, roundhouse, or on the main line; since this auxiliary circuit has no connection with-the third rail used along the main line. Thus an engine cannot leave the round house or elsewhere unless the main circuit is in working order.

A further object is to provide a simple and slower acting mechanism for actually in the same block, and regardless of whether applying the brakes than that used l 18I 6lJ0' fore thus avoiding a too quick application of the brakes; V

I have also provided a speed governor device, operated in connection with "the main circuit, which will automatically put the brakes on the engine on. which the device is, mounted, when the-speed of said engine exceeds a predetermined maximum. The. brakes, however, will. he immediatelyfre leased as soon as the speed drops to within said maximum. limit, and of course-acts only on the individual engine, having no connection with any other engine. I

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and relatively inexpensive system, andyetone which willbeexceeding- 1y effective for the purposes. for which it is designed. y 7

These objects I accomplish'by means of' such structure andrelative, arrangement-of parts as will fully .app earby a ,perusal of the followingspecification and claims. I

In the drawings similar characters ofreference indicate corresponding" parts in the several views: 7 i 3 Fig. 1 is a diagram showing myimproved system as applied to two engines,.one engine, however, beingshown withthe main circuit system only. v

Fig. 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic. view of the air-brake valve actuatingmechanism.

Fig. 3'is a conventional or diagrammatic view showing a. speed governor attachment mounted in connection with. one of the driving axles of the engine, and interposed in the main circuit. l

' Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on-the drawings, my improved system :when complete practically comprises. four circuits'the main circuit A, a shunt circuit B con-trolling the-auxiliary circuitC and closed aslong as the main circuit-is unbroken, and a further shunt circuit D controlled and closed only by the clos ing. of the auxiliary circuit, which in turn is only closed when the main circuit is broken.

In Fig. 1 ,the numeral .1 denotes the usual rails on which the vehicles travel, and, 2 the auxiliary third rail or other .suitablecurrent. conducting member insulated from the rails 1. This third rail is divided into. separated lengths, the adjacent endsof which extend l side by side in parallel but spaced and insulated relation to each other for a certain distance as shown;

The main'circuit A of my system comprises, for and on each locomotive, a contact 3 or ground on an axle 1 or other member of the locomotive, so that contact is thus indirectly and continuously made with. the rails 1-. .A wire 5 from the contact 3 leads to one terminal of a battery ,6 or other,

source of current carried on the locomotive, while fromthe other terminal of the battery-a wire 7 leads to a shoe or other contact member 8 contacting with the third rail 2 at all times. Interposed in-the wire '7 "is a hell 9 or the like; Between'the bell and the battery is an overload circuit breaker 10 to protect the battery and other parts. Beyond the bell a solenoid 11 is in-' terposed in the wire 7, whose movable core 12 is connected to the operating handle 13 of an air-brake valve 14. This valve is a duplicate of the usual en'gineers brake valve 15,mounted-on the engine (see Fig.2). The air-pipes 16 from the valve 14 are connected to the corresponding pipes 17 2' of the ava'lve so that eitherivalve may be operatedto apply the brakes withoutdisturbing the other. v V n This arrangement avoids any direct connection'of my system with the usual engineers brake-valve, as is considered necessary by the requlrements of the commission whose approval is necessary in connection with the installation of such systems. 'The core 12 has a rearward extension 18 of a suitable material not afi'ecting'the action of the solenoid'on the core itself. This extension projects through the solenoid and In. this' manner the speed of flow of the 'glycerine from one end of the cylinder'to the other can be regulated, and the speed of movement of the core 12 and. hence the operation of the brake-valve to which said coreis connected, will be governed accorddistance.

A normally closed switch 23 is inter V to sired.

ingly. This allows the brakes to be put on as gently or as quickly "as may be desired,

and. the train may be stopped in a given posed" at aconvenient place in the circuit. Avoltmeter 24 may alsobe arranged inconnection with the main circuit if de-' In order to enable the engineer to test out his own'system at any time, without of course affecting the system'on anyengine ou the line, I run a wire 25" between the wires 5 and 7 bey0nd the solenoid, in which wire is interposed anormally open. switch 26 of suitable type. Itfwill therefore be seen that upon closing this switch a cir cuit through the whole system is closed, and

if the same is in working order, the signal I 9 willbe actuated and the brakes applied.

Should these results not obtain, the engineer will know something is wrong, and should investigate to locate the source of trouble.

same as I have already provided in the systems" as .set forth in-the aforementionedpatent and application for patent. Itwill' therefore be seen that as long; as the shoes 8 on the two engines are on separate sections of the rail 2,'the respective main circuitson said engines will be open, since as above stated, the rails 1 and 2 are insulated from each other andhence there is no direct 7 connection betweencont'act andshoe 8.

When, however, the engines approach so close to each other that the shoes, 8 are both V I on the'samerail 2, or one or the other is on the lapped portions of tWo such rails, a circuit is at once closed through both engine circuits, since'both fwires 5 are then connected through the rails 1, "and both wires Tthrough the unbroken stretchor' rail .2.

The shunt circuit 13 comprises a fin wire 27 extending from the wire 7 7 adjacent .the shoe 8 to a ground on the engine,which corresponds to connection with the wire 5 at the contact 3. V In said wire 27 is interposed an electromagnet 28 ,attractlng an ar mature i 29. ThlS magnet, which as will be evident is energized as long as the main circuit is not broken, is arranged to be operated only by voltage, so that the current passing through has not"suflicientfstrength to actiiiate the solenoid 11. I v y 'The auxiliary circuitC comprises a wire 3O grounded at one end on the engine and connected atjits othe'r'end to the armature 29 with an auxiliary battery 31 interposed therein. Another wire 32 has onone end a contact adapted to beengaged' by the arma ture 29 but spaced therefrom as long as the magnet is" energized.

thereby having cOnnecti nwith the rails "1. interposed in this wire32is' a solenoidistructure33, aduplicateofthefsolenoid lland 1 adjacent parts, and whose core 34fis connected to handle 13? on't he" same brake valve 14 towhich the core-12 of the 'otherso-lenoid is connected (see Fig. 2);?

. f Beyond the solenoid 33 thewire32'has an electro1nagnet35 "interposed therein, ac-L tuated by the amperage or full strength current insaid wire; magnet-when ener-. gize'd attracts an armature 36, one end'o'fr; which is connected to thexwire 32and the other end is adapted to contact, only when r i V This wire 'is' grounded on'the engine at 1138 other end,

75] a The foregoing parts are substantially the the magnet isfenergized, with thewire 37 of i the shunt circuit D of which the armature 36 and connecting leg of wire 32 form a part. The end of wire 37 opposite to the armature is connected to the shoe 8 or otherwise connecteu with the third rail 2.

A switch 38 normally closed, is in said auxiliary circuit C at a suitable point, as well as a signal lamp 39, lit when said circuit is closed.

In operation if the main circuit A is broken at any point the magnet will be deenergized, allowing the armature 29 to engage the wire 32. This will close the auxiliary circuit C, causing the solenoid 33 to be actuated and the brakes to be instantly applied through the valve 14 as effectually as though the main circuit were in operation. At the same time the magnet 35 is also energized, causing the armature 36 to contact with the wire 37 and closing the shunt circuit D from ground (or rails l) to the shoe 8 or rail 2; This causes the same conditions to obtain, as far asanother engine in the same block is concerned, as if the main circuit on the engine on which he shunt circuit is mounted were unbroken. This'is because the main circuit of said other engine is closed from rail 2- to rails 1 through the circuit D, which electrically connects said rails, as will be evident.

The switches 23 and 38, which are located in the engine cab, are normally sealed in closed position by some person in authority at railway headquarters. The seals are to be broken only in case any danger has passed and the need for opening said switches is imperative. Such a contingency arises if two trains have approached each other in the same block and the brakes have thus been automatically applied, as above described, either by means of the main or auxiliary circuits, In such a case, before the trains or engines can be again moved, the

brakes must of course be released. This can only be done by opening whichever circuit has caused the application of the brakes to be made and is holding the brakes applied. My speed governor control, arranged in connection with the main circuit and controlling in each engine individually without any effect on any other engine, comprises separated leads 40 attached to the wires 5 and 7 of the main circuit A. These leads are electrically connected, so as to close the circuit through the main system irrespective of any closing of said circuit through the rails 1 and 2, by means of an arm 41 adapted to engage and contact with both leads 4O simultaneously. This arm is mounted in connection with a pendulum or other common form of governor such as conventionally represented at 42.

This governor is mounted on a shaft 43 having a bevel pinion 44 meshing with a bevel gear 45 mounted on an axle 4 of the engine. Thi'sgovernor operates in theusual manner, so thatwithan increase of speed of the shaft 43 'above a predetermined maximum speed otthe engine, the arm 41 will move to engage the leads 40, closing the main circuit and applying the. brakes, as will be clear. As soon "as the speed decreases. to a point below said maximum, the arm 41 will drop clear of the leads 40 causing the brakes to be released, andso on. v

From the. foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a system as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein. v "lVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the system, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of theinvention, as defined by the appended claims- I Having thus described my invention what i I claim as new and useful and desire to se-- cure by Letters Patent is:-

1. An automatic brake setting system for railway vehicles comprising normally open circuit means on separated vehicles, brake actuating means arranged in the circuits and operating when the circuits are closed, means causmgsaid c rcuits to-be-automatically closed when the vehicles approach to within a. predetermineddistance of each I other, and means on oneve'hicle operating in connection with the first named means for causing the circuit on the other Vehicle to be closed even if the circuit on the one vehicle is internally broken. a

2. An automatic brake setting system for railway vehicles comprising normally open circuit means on separated vehicles, brake actuating means arranged in the, circuits and operating when the circuits are closed, means causing said circuits to be automatically closed when the vehicles approach to within a predetermined distance of eachother, a normally open shunt circuit con nected to the main circuit of one Vehicle and operating when closed in connection with the first named means for causing the circuit on the other vehicle to be closed even if the circuit on the one vehicle is internally broken, and means caused by said breaking for closing the shunt circuit.

3. An automatic brake s'etting system for railway vehicles comprising normally open circuit means on separated vehicles, brake actuating means arranged in the circuits and operating when the circuits are closed, means causing said circuits to be automatically closed when the vehicles approach to within apredetermined distance of each other, and auxiliary brake actuating means mounted on one vehicle and operating automatically if the main circuit on said vehicle is internally broken.

4. An automatic brake setting system for railway vehicles comprising normally open within a predetermined distance of each other, auxiliary brake actuating means.

mounted on one vehicle and operating automatically-if the main circuition said vehicle is internally V broken,fland circuit means I closed only upon the operation of the auxiliary means and functioning in'connection with the first named means for causing the main circuitlon the other vehicle to be closed irrespective of the break in the main circuit of the one vehicle.

I -5. An automatic brakesetting system'i'or railway vehicles comprising normally open 7 circuit means on separated vehicles, brake actuatingv means arranged in the circuits 7 brake actuating means operated u on the" and operating when the circuits are closed,

7 means causing said circuits to be automatically'closedwhen theivehicles approach to within a predetermined distance of each other, an auxiliary circuit on the vehicle closin of said auxiliary circuit, an means i where y said auxiliary circuit willbeclosed only if the main c'ircuitis internally broken. n 6. An automatic brake setting system for railway vehicles comprising normally open circuit meansion separated vehicles, brake actuatingmeans arranged in the circuits and operatlng whenlthe circults are closed, means CflllSlIig-Stil-d'G1ICl11tSt0 be, automatically closed when the vehicles approach to within a" predetermined distance 'of each other, an auxiliary circuit on the vehicle brake actuating means operated uponthe closing of said auxiliary circuit, and means controlled by an internal'break in the main circuit for causing saidauxiliary circuit to be closed;- 1 l 7 An automatic brake setting system for. railway vehicles comprising normally open circuit means on separated 'vehicles,-brake actuating means arranged .m the circuits and operating when 'the circuits are closed, means causing said circuits to be automat ically closed when the vehicles approach to other, an auxiliary circuit on the vehicle brake actuating means operated upon the I closing of said auxiliary circuit, means con trolled by an internal break in the main circuit for causing saidauxiliaryl circuit to be'closed,-a normally open shunt circuit across the normally open gap of the main. circuit, and means controlled by the closing of theauxiliary circuit for closing the shunt circuit. i

ture.

PETER W MOSHER.

within a predetermined distance of each a In testimony whereof I aflix signa- 

